Fluid transfer apparatus



Sept. 2, 1969 w. DAUGHERTY FLUTD TRANSFER APPARATUS Filed Feb. 5, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 2, 1969 w. DAUGHERTY FLUID TRANSFER APPARATUS Filed Feb. 5, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet FIG. .2

Unite States Patent 3,464,465 FLUID TRANSFER APPARATUS Ray W. Daugherty, Oakland, Calif., assignor to Ethyl Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Virginia Filed Feb. 3, 1966, Ser. No. 524,905 Int. Cl. B65b 3/10 US. Cl. 141-59 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A self-filling vessel apparatus for combustible or toxic fluids utilizing an internal combustion engine to provide a vacuum within the vessel to be filled and to burn the toxic or combustible vapors produced in the filling operation. A preferred embodiment encompasses a self-filling tank truck for transferring combustible or toxic fluids from a railroad tank car.

Background of the invention The expanding need of industry for large volumes of chemical fluids at competitive prices requires the bulk shipment of these fluids in large vessels or containers such as barges and tank cars. These bulk quantities of fluids must be transferred from the large vessels to smaller ones, such as tank trucks or storage vessels, at points of distribution. Generally, -bulk quantities of chemical fluids are transferred from one vessel to another by applying inert gas pressure, such as nitrogen, to the surface of the fluid within the large vessel or tank car and forcing the fluid up a stand-pipe within the vessel to another vessel such as a tank truck placed adjacent thereto.

Operation in this manner creates problems, however, in that an inert gas supply must be maintained in high pressure containers, and during the transfer, chemical fluid vapors formed within the receiving vessel are displaced to the surrounding atmosphere by the transferring liquid. These displaced vapors generally collect in high concentrations around the vessels and may create a fire or health hazard to equipment and personnel.

It is an object of this invention to provide a process and apparatus for transferring combustible or toxic fluids from one vessel to another without contaminating the atmosphere.

Another object of the invention is to provide a process and apparatus for transferring combustible or toxic fluids wherein displaced fluid vapors are burned.

A further object of the invention is to provide a process and apparatus for transferring combustible or toxic fluids by a self-contained means.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a process and apparatus for transferring fluids from one vessel to another in a simple and economical manner.

These and other objects of this invention will become readily apparent upon reference to the following description and accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an embodiment of an installation for transferring fluids from one vessel to another, and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the top portion, partially cut away, of the tank truck of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1, there are shown load lines 10 and 11 supported by adjustable supports 12 and 13, respectively, by means of chains 15. Adjustable supports 12 and 13 are movably fixed upon and supported by column 14 placed in the ground, and the height of support bars 12 and 13 may be varied by rotating cable adjustment means 16 and 17, respectively.

Load line 10 having end valve 47 is attached to tank car 18 having stand-pipe 19 and stand-pipe valve 20 by coupling means 21, and load line 11 having end valve 22 is attached to tank truck 23 having stand-pipe '24 and standpipe end valve 25 by coupling means 26. Air vent valve 27 is provided on tank car 18 and vacuum supply valve 28 is provided on tank truck 23.

Internal combustion engine 29 is mounted on top of tank truck 23 by means of platform 33, and the air intake means for internal combustion engine 29 is connected by line 30 to vacuum supply valve 28.

Suitable vapor filter means 31 and vacuum gauge 32 may be provided in line 30 if desired.

Referring now to FIG. 2, platform 33 having protective railing 43 is mounted on tank truck 23, and internal combustion engine 29, having self-contained fuel supply tank 44 with filling means 45, is fixedly mounted on platform 33. Air vent valve 34 is provided in line 30 for startup of the internal combustion engine, and check valve 35 may be provided in line 30 as a safety precaution in case of engine backfire through the air intake system.

Alternate stand-pipe and stand-pipe end valve 36 and safety pressure relief valve 37 may be provided on tank truck vessel, if desired. Air vent valve 38 may be provided also; however, in normal operation in accordance with invention, plug 46 may be provided to present air leakage into the system.

Internal combustion engine 29 has exhaust dissipation fan 39 mounted on housing 40 for the internal combustion engine and exhaust fan 39 may be rotated by the engine drive shaft by means not shown. Internal combustion engine exhaust leaves the engine by line 41 and is dissipated in the surrounding atmosphere by fan outlet 42.

The process of this invention for transferring combustible or toxic liquids from a first combustible liquid containing vessel to a second vessel comprising providing a substantially vacuum-tight connection between the inside of substantially the bottom of a closed combustible liquidcontaining vessel to the inside of a second closed vessel; providing a substantially vacuum-tight connection between the inside of substantially the top of the second vessel and the air intake means for an operating internal combustion engine; and maintaining the vacuum-tight connections for a period sufficient to transfer a desired quantity of said combustible liquid from the first vessel to the second vessel may be described most clearly by a description of the general procedure for operation of a preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

For operation, load line 10 is connected with standpipe 19 through valves 17 and 20 by means of coupling 21, and load line 11 is connected with stand-pipe 24 through valves 22 and 25 by means of coupling 26. With valve 28 closed, air vent valve 34 is opened and internal combustion engine 29 is started. After the engine is started, valves 17 and 20 and air vent valve 27 on the tank car vessel are opened, and valves 22 and 25 and vacuum supply valve 28 on the tank truck vessel are opened. With these valves open and the internal combustion engine operating, air vent valve 34- is closed creating a vacuum-tight connection between the air intake of the internal combustion engine and the inside of substantially the top of the vessel of tank truck 23 and between the inside of the vessel of tank truck 23 and the inside of substantially the bottom of the vessel of tank car 18.

Operating in this manner, the fluid vapors in the vessel of tank truck 23 are removed and burned in internal combustion engine 29 reducing the pressure below atmospheric in the vessel of tank truck 23 causing the fluid contained in the vessel of tank car 18 to be forced by atmospheric pressure entering through valve 27 up through stand-pipe 19, through transfer lines 10 and 11, and into the vessel of tank truck 23. Any fluid vapors which are formed during the transfer are exhausted from the vessel of tank truck 23 through the internal combustion engine 29 and the burned vapors are dissipated to the surrounding atmosphere in minimal concentrations by blower 39.

Although a preferred embodiment shows the connection of the tank truck load line to a stand-pipe within the vessel of the tank truck, it is clear that this standpipe is not necessary to the process of this invention and that it is necessary only that a vacuum-tight connection be provided with the inside of the vessel. Further, it can be seen easily that the loaction of the internal combustion engine and the mounting for the tank truck vessel, i.e. the wheels, are not necessary to this invention.

In a typical installation, using the preferred embodiment of this invention described above, a two cylinder gasoline engine (Wisconsin gas engine Model THD) operating at an engine speed of 2200 rpm. maintained a tank truck vessel vacuum of approximately 13 inches of mercury, and 3000 gallons of a combustible liquid containing tetraehyl lead concentrate were transferred from a tank car vessel to a tank truck vessel in one hour. During the operation, the emission from the erhaust fan was analyzed periodically and found to contain only .001 milligram of lead .per cubic foot of air as a maximum.

After the transfer of the fluid was completed, the airvent valve on the air-intake line for the internal comb-ustion engine was opened while the engine was still operat ing to permit purging of the engine of final quantities of combustible vapors.

As can be seen clearly from the preceding description, the process and apparatus of this invention have many advantages. No external source of pressure or vacuum is necessary to accomplish transfer of the fluids, and combustible or toxic fluid vapors are not permitted to collect in high concentration in the area of the transfer as is the case when trnasfers are made without the benefit of this invention.

While there have been shown, described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of this invention, it is to be understood that various substitutions, changes in form and details of the process and apparatus illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of this invention. It is intended that this invention be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A self-filling vessel apparatus comprising, in combination:

(a) a closed vessel having at least two openings at substantially the top,

(b) an internal combustion engine having air-intake means, exhaust means and separate fuel supply means,

(c) a first substantially vacuum-tight vapor conducting means connecting one of said at least two openings and said air-intake means, and

(d) a second substantially vacuum-tight liquid conducting means connected to the other of said at least two openings for insertion in the liquid to be loaded into said closed vessel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized by said exhaust means comprising a blower operably connected with said internal combustion engine for dissipating the engine exhaust.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized by said first substantially vacuum-tight vapor conducting means having a closable atmospheric opening between said air-intake means and said one of said at least two openings.

4. An apparatus for transferring combustible liquid from a first closed vessel to a second closed vessel comprising, in combination:

(a) an internal combustion engine having a fuel supply means, air-intake means and exhaust means,

(b) said first closed vessel and said second closed vessel each having at least a first and a second opening at substantially the top,

(c) said first opening in said first closed vessel being a vent and said second opening in said first vessel being operably connected by a substantially vacuumtight means to the space at substantially the bottom of said first closed vessel,

(d) said first opening in said second closed vessel and said second opening in said first closed vessel being operably connected by a substantially vacuum-tight disconnectable means, and

(e) said second opening on said second vessel and said air-intake means being operably connected by a substantially vacuum-tight means whereby when said internal combustion engine is operated the pressure in said second closed vessel is reduced causing combustible liquid in said first vessel to be forced into said second vessel and any combustible vapors formed in said second vessel during the transfer are burned in the operating internal combustion engine.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further characterized by said internal combustion engine being fixedly attached to said second vessel.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 further characterized by said first vessel being a railroad tank car.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 further characterized by said second vessel being a part of a tank truck.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 further characterized by said internal combustion engine having a blower means operably connected with said internal combustion engine for dissipating the efiluent from said exhaust means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1923 Carr. 6/1928 Czerner.

US. Cl. X.R. 1231l9 

